Teachers cheating? Who could have guessed?

by David Safier

Do between 1% and 3% of teachers cheat to boost their students' scores on standardized tests? Or is it more like 4% to 5%? And how many administrators encourage test score manipulation by their staff or even pull out the eraser themselves at the end of the school day?

A NY Times story says cheating by teachers and administrators is a growing problem nationwide.

Expect to see more stories like this. And expect teachers and principals to become ever more skilled and clever at devising undetectable ways to boost student scores.

After all, if teachers get pay raises based on their scores, isn't it likely a significant minority will resort to cheating if it makes the difference between an inadequate and a livable salary?

And if teachers' jobs hang in the balance and a few extra points will ward off a pink slip, that kind of pressure can push an otherwise honest teacher to step over the line.

And that's just cheating, which is the most blatant example of score manipulation in our increasingly test-centered schools. Classrooms are becoming test taking mills. Students are being turned into test performance machines. If it's not on the test, it's likely to get shoved in a dusty corner of the curriculum.

As the stakes are raised, the validity of high stakes test scores, which are driving the educational agenda in this country, becomes ever more questionable.

Comments

[Patt]

What about state superintendents that change cut scores to demonstrate successs or lack of success depending on whether they're running for office or not? Cheating takes many forms in the days of test score driven education.

[David Safier]

That's not cheating, Patt. That's creative use of numbers. Nothin' wrong with that. Is there? (Sarcasm alert for anyone who thinks I'm being serious.)

[LUV_AZ]

David,

I agree with you about the temptation for teachers to cheat if their pay is based on test scores. But then again, I've worked with teachers in charter and public schools and paying them based on senority is just not a good idea. I've seen great teachers and I've seen awful teachers. They should be payed based on their performance. I don't have all the answers but one idea would be to simply have teachers administer and proctor the tests of other teacher's students.
Unfortunately there are people in the education profession who have no morals or ethics. I worked for a principal who lied and cheated on a regular basis. Many of the employees went to the governing board but they chose to do nothing about it. Anyway that's another issue. I think we need to do some brainstorming and working together to come up with the correct solution.

[Francine Shacter]

Frankly, I am sick and tired of having teachers scape-goated. No, I am not nor was I ever a teacher - unless you count the 10 years I spent teaching people how to train their dogs. There are incompetent people in all fields. Being retired fro 31 1/2 years in the Federal Government, believe me, I have seen the range from those who pretty near walked on water to those who were so grossly incompetent, it made made me crazy. But what I see is that our society has somehow identified teachers as their target. My advice? Get off of it - you will only drive out good teachers, discourage good people from going into teaching, reduce parent's confidence in the education their children are getting - the WHOLE THING. Aim for the balanced judgments that everyone who holds a job is entitled to - not the group grope!

Just my 2 cents!

[Patt]

Right, it's better; more technical, precicise and driven by state standards.

[Patt]

precise, sorry those words on the computer screen are getting smaller and smaller. lol

[Nic-nic]

They're definitely better than when I went to high school in the 80's, and for pretty much the reasons listed by Patt. Better able to engage a wider range of students and less likely to just lecture, and too bad for you if you don't get it.